A dangerous dog has been granted the second chance its chorus of supporters were calling for.

On Thursday afternoon, Yukon Supreme Court Justice Randall Wong ordered the stay of euthanization for the German shepherd-Rottweiller named Trevor extended until Sept. 21.

The reprieve will enable Trevor to be assessed and potentially adopted out once again.

"I'm relieved to learn that Trevor's going to have a chance to be assessed," said Rachel Westfall, a representative of Human Society Yukon's board of directors.

"It's clear that the dog needs to be worked with. What's triggering him?"

The original stay was ordered last week by Justice Ron Veale, after concerned citizen Kevin Sinclair filed an injunction to prevent Trevor from being put down.

The City of Whitehorse Bylaw Services Department deemed Trevor dangerous when he was signed over to it by his previous owner, Tamara Allaby, after he attacked several people.

Westfall argued that the humane society is the putative owner of Trevor because Allaby had breached her contract when she gave the dog to her brother.

Condition eight of the dog adoption contact says: "Should the adopter, at any stage, no longer wish to keep the dog, it shall be surrendered back to Humane Society Yukon, and the adoption fee shall not be refunded to the adopter."

Westfall said the bylaw department failed to inform the humane society of its intent to euthanize the dog, as it was required to do in section 120 of the Animal Control Bylaw.

Section 120 says: "Notwithstanding any other provision of this bylaw, where a Designated Officer considers it to be in the interest of public safety to do so, he may, with the consent of the owner if the animal is on the owner's property, or without consent if the animal is running at large, forthwith destroy any animal that is in contravention of this bylaw, whether or not such animal is deemed to have an aggressive or vicious temperament."

The city argued that bylaw did not obligate it to get consent from the humane society.

"The manager of bylaw made a decision in this case … to deal with this matter in the way he needed to deal with it," said Lori Lavoie, the city's lawyer.

"There was a public safety issue that was before him."

Wong said the humane society does have an interest in Trevor and is at least a putative owner.

Wong ordered the reprieve to allow time for a professional to appropriately assess if Trevor is capable of being trained and adopted out.

The City of Whitehorse and the humane society will work together to find an assessor.

If the assessment is a positive one for Trevor, Bylaw Services woud cancel its plans to euthanize him and the humane society would have the option of adopting him out again.

A negative assessment would see Trevor returned to Bylaw Services, and the humane society would give up any claims of ownership.

To facilitate the assessment and reduce costs to the taxpayer, Wong ordered Trevor be housed in an isolated area at the humane society's shelter, if certain provisions are respected.

Trevor must be confined within a secured enclosure or securely muzzled and leashed. This condition will be flexible to accommodate the assessment.

When out for a walk, Trevor has to be on a leash no longer than one metre, and he must be under the control of a responsible person over the age of 18.

Signs warning of a dangerous dog on the premises will be put up near his enclosure.

The humane society is required have $500,000 in liability insurance.

Trevor cannot be adopted out or put in a foster care situation and he cannot leave the city.

If Trevor breaches the bylaw, the city must be informed immediately and have the opportunity to investigate the matter.

In addition, the city wants proof that all these conditions are met.

"I think it's a really good day for Trevor," said Sinclair. He added he was pleased the humane society "did what needed to be done" and joined him in court yesterday.

"I think what was established here today was a middle ground."

Trevor was first brought in to the care of bylaw in January of this year.

During a response to a call about an aggressive dog, an animal control officer discovered a dog matching the report's description with an ingrown collar in its neck.

The dog, Trevor, was treated at the Alpine Veterinary Clinic and transferred over to the humane society's shelter, where he was adopted out to Tamara Allaby.

The latest court ruling attracted national media attention, including reports on CBC and CTV news programs Thursday night and this morning.